Creamy Chickpea Farro Soup Recipes

CREAMY CHICKPEA & FARRO SOUP

Steps:

• In a large soup pot, heat the oil and then add the pancetta, carrots, onion, celery and garlic.
• Cook over medium heat, stirring often, until the vegetables are tender and the pancetta pieces are lightly browned, about 8 minutes
• Add the chickpeas to the pot with the vegetables and cover everything with broth by at least 1 inch.
• Season with salt and pepper, oregano, and rosemary.
• Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and slowly simmer for another 15 minutes or so to develop and meld the flavors.
• Remove half the bean and vegetable mixture, and puree until smooth in a food processor, then return to the pot.
• Add the farro to the pot, and simmer for about 25 minutes, or until the farro is just about tender to the bite. If the soup gets too thick, add additional broth to thin as needed.
• Taste, and adjust salt and pepper as needed.
• Serve in individual bowls topped with some cracked black pepper and a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil.
• Sprinkle top of soup with the crispy pancetta bits if using and serve.

CREAMY FARRO AND CHICKPEA SOUP

Steps:

• Drain chickpeas, and place in a medium earthenware pan or saucepan. Cover with plenty of cold water, and bring to a boil. Add sea salt and bay leaves. Reduce heat, and cook, covered, until very soft, about 1 1/2 hours.
• Meanwhile, in a medium saucepan, heat olive oil and gently cook onion, prosciutto and celery for 4 to 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until they are soft but not brown. Drain farro, and add it along with the chicken broth, marjoram and nutmeg to the onion mixture. Cook, partially covered, for about 1 hour.
• Drain chickpeas, reserving the cooking liquid. Discard bay leaves. In a food processor, puree chickpeas with 1 cup of the reserved liquid. Add pureed chickpeas to the farro mixture; if necessary, add more of the cooking liquid from the chickpeas to achieve the consistency of a creamy soup. Adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper. Wait 10 minutes before serving, and sprinkle each portion with chopped parsley and a drizzle of olive oil.